Can you have a laser tag party in your own backyard?

Yes. Mobile laser tag companies in St. Louis and the Metro East bring the entire field to your address, taggers, cover, host and all, so a standard suburban backyard is enough for a full laser tag party. Me 2 You Game Truck runs backyard laser tag from $329 for two hosted hours and up to 20 players, indoor or outdoor, day or night, for ages 8 and up. The infrared taggers reach up to 600 feet, so a smaller yard produces faster, closer games rather than a worse one.

The photo above is not a stock shot of a park. That is an ordinary yard on an ordinary street, with the neighbors' houses in the frame, which is what most of our backyard parties look like. The question almost everybody actually asks is "would my yard work," so here is the honest answer to it.

How much space you really need

Less than people expect, and here is why. The taggers have an effective range of up to 600 feet, which is well past the length of any residential lot in this area. Your yard is never too small for the equipment to work. What the size of the yard changes is the character of the game, not whether there is one.

A big yard, half an acre and up. Long sightlines, more flanking, slower and more tactical rounds. Players spread out and hunt.
A normal suburban yard. The sweet spot for a kids' party. Rounds are quick, everyone is in contact constantly, and nobody spends the game walking.
A small yard or a long narrow one. Fast, loud, close-quarters games with a lot of laughing. Honestly, eleven-year-olds often prefer this to the big-field version.

What matters more than square footage is cover. A flat rectangle of grass with nothing on it is the one setup where laser tag gets dull, because there is nowhere to break a sightline. That is exactly what the field tiers exist to solve: the Quick Up Field at $429 adds pop-up hunting blinds, and the Premium Field at $529 adds weighted team-colored inflatable barriers. If your yard already has trees, a shed, a deck, a fence line, or a slope, Nature's Field at $329 uses all of it and you keep the difference.

Not sure? Text a photo of your yard to (618) 845-7171 and we will tell you honestly whether it works, including if the answer is that it doesn't.

What your host actually needs from the space

A place to park and unload. Reasonably close to where the field goes, so gear is not being carried a block.
Roughly an hour before start. Your Event Manager arrives about an hour early to lay out the field, set the cover, and gear up every player before the first round.
A gate or a path wide enough for the equipment. Worth a look before you book if the only way into the yard is a narrow side gate.
A rough idea of hazards. A pond, an unfenced drop, a dog run, a flowerbed nobody may step in. The host builds the field around whatever you name.

You do not need to provide taggers, cover, power, or a referee. You do not need to run any of it.

Playing at a park instead

Parks work well and we play in them often, but a park is the one location with paperwork, and it is on you rather than on us. Before you settle on one, ask the parks department four things:

Do they permit an outside vendor to run an activity on the property at all, and is a permit required?
Are temporary structures allowed? Pop-up blinds and inflatable barriers count as structures at some parks.
Is amplified sound allowed? The Premium Field includes a speaker system, so this one is worth asking if you are booking that tier.
Do they want proof of insurance? Parks frequently request a Certificate of Insurance or ask to be named as an Additional Insured.

That last one is easy: send us the park's contact information and we will obtain it and forward it to you. Do get it sorted in advance, though. If the required permits and permissions are not in place when we arrive, the party counts as canceled under our policy, and that is a bad morning for everyone.

Garages, gyms, and church halls

Laser tag is not an outdoor-only product, which surprises people who are picturing a blacklight arena. Ours is infrared and works in any lighting, indoors or out, day or night. A gym, a fellowship hall, a finished basement, a large garage, or a covered pavilion all make legitimate fields, and the pop-up blinds matter more indoors than out because a gym floor has no natural cover at all.

If you have an indoor space that fits, say so when you book. It turns a weather-dependent booking into a weather-proof one, which changes what happens next.

The rain plan, stated plainly

Laser tag runs outdoors, so unlike the game truck it is genuinely weather-sensitive, and we would rather be straight about that than sell around it.

If there is no indoor backup and the weather turns, we work with you to reschedule within 60 days for private parties. We may hold the final balance until we know the forecast, sometimes on the day itself, so a bad Saturday does not cost you the party. A $100 deposit holds your date. And if your date genuinely cannot move and you have nowhere indoors to fall back to, an indoor arena is the safer booking, and we will tell you that rather than take the deposit.

Neighbors, noise, and the practical stuff

Noise. It is kids shouting in a yard, which is the normal noise of a birthday party. The taggers themselves are quiet. The Premium Field's speaker system is the only amplified element, and it can stay off.
Your lawn. Twenty kids running for two hours will flatten grass and will find any soft ground. It recovers. A newly seeded lawn is a reason to pick the park.
After dark. Night games are genuinely the best version, and they work because the system does not need light. If your party runs into the evening, ask for it.
Safety. The taggers are infrared. There is no projectile and nothing that can hurt an eye. We are licensed and insured in both Illinois and Missouri, every employee is background-checked, and laser tag is built for ages 8 and up.
Teardown. Handled, including the parts of your yard we moved things in.

What it costs to do it at home

One flat price for the event, with no per-person charge: $329 for Nature's Field, $429 for the Quick Up Field, $529 for the Premium Field. Each covers two hosted hours, 10 tagger and headset kits, and up to 20 total players, plus setup, teardown, and a named host. Travel is free within 29 miles of Granite City, Illinois, and 30 to 39 miles adds a flat $40 that we confirm before you book. Schools and churches run their own rate of $600 for up to 10 players or $800 for up to 20.

Because the price is flat, the guest list is the one part of this party that is free. Twenty players costs what eight players costs. The full breakdown, including how that compares to an arena, is in what a laser tag party costs in St. Louis.

Want to know whether your yard works? Text a photo to (618) 845-7171, or look at the fields and what each one includes.

Updated August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can you have a laser tag party at home?

Yes. Mobile laser tag companies bring the whole field to your address, so a backyard, driveway, cul-de-sac, park, gym, or church hall all work. Me 2 You Game Truck sets up at your location across St. Louis and Metro East Illinois, indoor or outdoor, day or night, from $329 for two hosted hours and up to 20 players.

How much space do you need for backyard laser tag?

A standard suburban backyard is plenty. The infrared taggers reach up to 600 feet, which is farther than any residential lot, so the size of the yard changes the character of the game rather than whether it works. A bigger yard gives longer, more tactical rounds; a smaller one gives faster, closer games. What matters more than square footage is cover, which the Quick Up and Premium fields add if your space is flat and empty.

Do you need a permit for laser tag at a park?

Often, yes, and getting it is the customer's responsibility. Ask the parks department whether an outside vendor is permitted, whether temporary structures like pop-up blinds are allowed, whether amplified sound is allowed, and whether they need a Certificate of Insurance or to be named as an Additional Insured. Send Me 2 You the park's contact details and we will obtain the insurance paperwork and forward it. If permits are not in place on arrival, the booking counts as canceled.

Can laser tag be played indoors?

Yes. The system is infrared and works in any lighting, so a gym, fellowship hall, large garage, finished basement, or covered pavilion all make good fields. Indoors the pop-up blinds and inflatable barriers matter more than outdoors, because a gym floor offers no natural cover. Having an indoor space also removes the weather risk from your booking.

What happens if it rains on a backyard laser tag party?

If there is no indoor backup, Me 2 You works with you to reschedule within 60 days for private parties, and may hold the final balance until the forecast is known, sometimes on the day itself. A $100 deposit holds the date. If your date cannot move and you have nowhere indoors to fall back to, an indoor arena is the safer booking.

Is backyard laser tag safe for kids?

The taggers are infrared, so there is no projectile and nothing that can hurt an eye. Me 2 You is licensed and insured in both Illinois and Missouri, every employee is background-checked, and a named host referees every round. Laser tag is built for ages 8 and up, with the sweet spot around 10 to 13.

How long does setup take for backyard laser tag?

Your Event Manager arrives about an hour before the start time to lay out the field, set the cover, and gear up every player, so the first round begins on schedule. Teardown is included at the end and handled by the same team.